title: [MLC reactivity demonstrates transfusion-induced immunosuppression].
abstract: The improved graft survival in preoperatively transfused renal transplant recipients led to the hypothesis that blood transfusions have an immunosuppressive effect. We examined 12 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, who received autologous red cells and one homologous HLA class-I-matched platelet concentrate. None of these patients produced red cell or lymphocytotoxic antibodies. Using the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) we observed a reduced lymphocyte responce to cells of the platelet donor during the first 4 days after transfusion. The MLC reactivity recovered on days 4-5 to the initial strength and reached over 200% of the initial strength from day 6 on. It must be assumed that these changes in MLC reactivity represent the early signs of the transfusion-induced immunosuppression. As intraoperative transfusions might correlate with cancer relapse, further studies must show whether this immunosuppressive effect can be avoided by the application of filtered leucocyte-depleted red cell transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Transfusionsmedizin, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zingsem
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weisbach
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeiler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wittmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckstein
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D017713:Platelet Transfusion
vernacular_title: Die MLC-Reaktivität zeigt die transfusionsinduzierte Immunsuppression an.